Back in the early 2000s, the tech term radio frequency identification (RFID) became much better known to people in business because big players in supply chains including Walmart and the US Department of Defense were piloting RFID technology to track inventory. Many of the most successful RFID deployments have been "closed-loop" systems aimed at efficiently and accurately capturing material flow and inventory position within an enterprise, according to Mike Beedles, president of SATO America and SATO Global Solutions. RFID will continue to catch on with retailers and in other sectors such as health care and manufacturing because of its efficiency in supporting pinpoint visibility, says Mark Wheeler, director of supply chain solutions with Zebra Technologies. RFID can make perfect sense in situations in manufacturing plants or other environments where there is the need to keep constant, close track of high-value items or equipment.